Great and Unsearchable Things

Things the Lord gives me, and then I write them.

Wednesday, March 07, 2018

The Loving Grace of Discipline

Our stubborn will and sin nature are no match for God’s discipline, if we are His. He will use whatever means necessary to bring His own back to Him in humility and surrender. Is this not a comfort to you? Do you want to let your own will have it’s way without a barrier, even His harsh discipline, which keeps you safe in His hand, instead of falling into the place where men perish? Is this not a loving act for Him to stand as a brass wall between your soul and the gates of Hell? To block your entrance into the flaming pit when you were blindly running headlong towards it?
If your will is to do His will, you are considered a man after God’s own heart, and if in innocence you become deceived, and stray, God has a promise for you: If Christ has saved you, He will also bring you back to keep you from falling into self-destruction. His discipline marks you as His own, and is one of the beautiful facets of His loving and keeping grace. But, if in prideful defiance you resist this grace, and insist on living rebelliously in opposition to His Will, you prove your own illegitimacy, and He will say,”You are none of mine. Go where you must.” And to perdition you must go; because you have chosen that.

Friday, December 01, 2017

Humility Begets Restoration

In the past couple of days, I’ve been easier to cry as I express myself to the Lord, and it feels good because it shows me that my heart is not dead, hard, and cold. When the depth of my heart, where feelings lie, is exposed, through expression, is when our pride of always having to be fine, and ok, is challenged, and even begins to crumble. Living all put together for too long, can have the effect of convincing ourselves that we really are fine, and denies and defies the truth of our own heart; those things that have been stored there for too long, unattended.
And what is the consequence of this malady? A stoic exterior, seemingly aloof and uncaring to the suffering and needs of others, not to mention the harm to oneself of not getting healed by the Lord, because we haven’t let our guard down to even admit we have a need.
And that is where the wonderful tool of suffering comes in. God’s plan for the restoration of all things, includes the soul’s of His children; He will complete what He started in us, using whatever means necessary, and our own suffering and pain, whether it be because our expectations and plans for our lives didn’t come to pass, or that our own repeated failures left us sad, frustrated, or even angry beyond cure, or even physical limitations or pain, He uses all our suffering, to get us to a place of brokenness and despair.
In my case, the softening of my heart has resulted from all of these things; that is why I can write them so freely and surely. I was trying to perfect myself, unknowingly, in my soul and body, and I was met with failure, every step of the way. Little did I know, I was fighting God’s help and dependence in my life. I didn’t want to be a baby. I wanted to be capable and strong and admired. I think I have been seen as all of those things to others, but it was only a front, because the things that I wasn’t dealing with well on the inside, were so stacked up, that it was inevitable that I would break sooner or later. And, I am so glad that I did, and unless I hadn’t written this down, no one would have known about it. The Lord was gracious enough to keep it between me and Him. But I am choosing to share this, thinking it might help someone else to know that being broken before the Lord, is a good thing, and precedes our healing, which I’m defining as being dependent on Him which is the most wonderful place to be. It is knowing what it is to be under the shadow of His wing; the place of serenity and protection; nestled in His arms; knowing you’re His.
What stress is relieved when you are broken and cry out to Him for help! Just admitting you can’t do it, or take it anymore, is only the beginning of a true love relationship where trusting Christ with your life is fulfilled. Staying in this place of humility is abiding in Him; never to be severed from the Vine that nourishes you.
A song called, “O, Holy Night” referring to the coming of Christ into the world, has a phrase that now has a deeper meaning for me: “Fall on your knees.” I see His Presence in my life and, I want no other response, for that is where I connect with Him in my brokenness.

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Following Jesus With Our Lives

"At once they left their nets and followed him."-Matt. 4:20. When Jesus' disciples were called, this was their response. It is both astounding to me, and revelatory, as how we too, are to respond when He first calls us. I can think back on that day, when my life was falling apart, as I lay there on the kitchen floor, after being pushed there by my husband justifiably. My flesh was ruling me, and having harmful effects on not only myself, but my family too. I was trying to right the wrongs in myself, and in the lives of the ones I loved by haranguing myself, and them, to do the right thing. Sadly, though, what I didn't know, was that I couldn't do it. My own will, strong as it was, could not change myself or others on the inside, which was the only thing that could change us. Thank God, He knew who I needed, and so, lying there, sad beyond repair, and alone, He came to me, asking me to follow Him. I had to make a decision, because He knew I was at the point of decision. It was either myself or Him. He used a vision to show me this. Once I saw what the end result would be, if I continued on the path that I was on, and the contrast to Life with Him, it really was a no-brainer. I didn't want to suffer anymore. I wanted to be saved and free!!! So,at once, I left my nets and followed Him. What are our nets? In my case, they represented all I tried to do to improve myself, and all I thought and acted on to "do life, which was failing miserably." I was so lonely and lost; I could even feel it, but I didn't know how to find Christ. I went to church, and so my conclusion was that I had Him. Even God can penetrate our delusions to save us! Following Him requires dropping our nets. Some people think this refers to leaving their jobs, and perhaps it could mean that, depending on one's attachments to it. Those things that keep us from following Him completely, our own past lives even, is what we must leave behind, and not look back. I am finding that I had more attachments in this life than I am aware of. As I continue to walk with Him, He exposes more and more of those things that are interfering with drawing closer to Him, and then He calls to me again-"Come follow me." So, again, by the power of His Holy Spirit's strength, and courage, I lay this net down. I noticed an increase in what He is asking me to lay down, ever since I told Him that I want to serve Him fully, with my mind too! All the things I have filled my mind with, which attachments had formed, He is asking from me. When we first receive Him, we surrender not only our hearts, but our former lives to Him too! There will be a change. We don't stay the same. In the realm of Spirit, "all things have become new", on the inside of us, as we are born again of the Spirit. Then, as we lay down more and more nets, all things on the outside conform to that given reality.

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Straighten Up, In Jesus' Name!

There are so many things on this planet out of alignment with God's will. We, as His Body, are given the power of His Spirit, to play a part in making the crooked places straight; to "pray into His Will" so to speak!!! First things are changed in the realm of spirit; then the natural realm will follow suit. For example, the lack of dedicated men, who put God first in their lives, who proclaim to be in Christ. Look around the world and you will see this; that should not be so. With the restoration of ALL things, Christ's intention is to cause His men to be strong in Him and in the power of His might. "Rise up, O men of God," is His call to the walking dead man whose idolatry lulls them to sleep. Where are the Abrahams, the Davids, and the Jeremiahs today? Many handmaidens of the Lord are waiting patiently for those men to betroth them, but are getting weary in well-doing. They are crying out for a man to be joined to, who have the fire of God in them as they do; to be equally yoked with, but they find none. Even the men who are married, are married to other things first before God! And they too are spiritual zombies, walking around blindly, without acknowledging the Lord first in the decisions they make, and without trusting Him to lead them fully. Their dedicated wives, grieve for them too! If each one in His Body would choose but one thing out of alignment, and pray His will be done in that area, the remainder of our lives would be well spent. We would be participating in, and be effecting His Will being done, in a focused way, on earth as it is in Heaven. We would be building the city of God, with Him as the Master Builder!!! "Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.'" Zechariah 4:6.

Saturday, October 08, 2016

The Dysfuntional Body of Christ

This is how I believe the Body of Christ begins to function, according to His good pleasure: It depends on those who are gathered together and how they relate to Christ each and everyday of their lives. If, they are asking the Holy Spirit to make them into the image of Christ, and are dying daily, then He is being formed in them. If, however, they are loving this present world and filling their own lusts, desires, will and pleasures, the old Adam is alive and well, and Christ is snuffed out in them. (for lack of a better term)
Now, let's say there are 5 people coming together to glorify Christ as they meet. Two of the people desire to let Christ be King in them, and three of them are just going about their daily lives without acknowledging Him at all. When they come together, in His Name, the two people come to pour out Christ in them, while the three come to get some of what the two have got, which is Christ's substance. It kind of reminds me of the virgins with the oil and those without, who tried to "get" the oil at the last minute so their lamps could be full, but the virgins who had been wise and had oil, told them to get their own. Sounds cruel, huh? Unless it's realized that all of them had the same advantages in life and that was to seek His Life everyday of their lives, by dying to self, but some chose not to.
Back to the gathering-If this is a reality (two have, three haven't) it has to be dysfunctional because everyone hasn't done their part and that is to sit at the Master's feet in their lives. So, the three have nothing to contribute, but the old Adam, who brings death. They actually are interfering with the flow of the Spirit, by expressing out of their man of flesh , and are, in a sense, infecting the two, who are continuing to consecrate themselves daily.
But, if those who are gathered are of one-spirit and mind, desiring God's agenda as they meet, they can flow unobstructed, and out of that, comes functioning. If, in our old nature, we try to imitate the gifts operating, or even seek to establish the 5 offices from that source, we become an Ishmael, who may look like the promised son, but only in form and not in truth. Truth is through Isaac (or what God has brought forth, as we surrender to His will) and the ultimate Truth, who is Christ, will reign as we gather.

"For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water."-Jeremiah 3:13
We, are those broken cisterns, if we haven't surrendered to Christ.
I pray the dead wood be burned and the green branch arise and bring the ecclesia of God into it's victory as His will operates through it!!!!

Tuesday, October 04, 2016

The Holy Spirit Will Exegete (Say "What"?) the Word for You

"Exegete" is a word many may not know; only those who have gone to Bible School do. It means to "expound on or to interpret Scripture." The Word itself says that the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. In other words, He is the One who can reveal to us the meaning of God's Word, or "exegete" it for us, that is, if we ask Him.
When our group met last week, Romans 12:1, was read in response to someone else's question on what does it mean to truly worship God.
It says: "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."
Someone else, asked, "what does that look like?" A good question. Although this person was sincere in wanting to know, the question may have been asked to the wrong person, because no one person knows except the Holy Spirit of God. A person who has been opened to God's Spirit, can express what He has shown them, but still, the "answers" need to be checked by that same spirit within us too.
The point is that God, the author of His Word, has all the answers and as we grow into Him, and Him into us, He will expound or interpret what He means according to what He has written, or He will "exegete" His Word for us. But we must ask Him and truly believe that He will show us, in His way and in His time, and then it will become a living word in us. Christ in us, becomes Christ through us, as we die daily. In this way, because He was the ultimate sacrifice, He becomes that sacrifice in and through us. Is this perhaps what it "looks like" to be a living sacrifice?

Sunday, October 02, 2016

Trusting, Not Self-Protection

How much of our unresolved past and the defenses that developed because of that, influences and even directs our present responses? Even our responses to God's voice?
Walls of fear, inside us, may resist a new direction He's leading us in, thinking all the while, that we must protect ourselves from intruding forces, when in fact, He might be using it to reveal to us our lack of trust in Him.
If we are dealing with a lack of trust, and He mercifully reveals it to us, and we are willing and able to see it (also by His grace) then we have a decision to make. We have everything pertaining to life and godliness in us, and so we have the ability to just decide and trust Him. As we do this, our past walls will fall down and not before. Like Peter stepping out on the water, he had to decide to trust Jesus and take action for him to stay buoyant. But, when he reasoned within himself as the waves crashed all around, he abandoned that trust and sank. Good thing Moses didn't do that when crossing the Red Sea.
And so it goes with us. We step out in faith and trust, but then start looking around, and whoosh-under we go! But, truly Jesus would have saved Peter. He really would have.
Because of His undying love for us, He will come through for us! He will protect and defend us! We can step out there, decide to trust, and never let go, if we will.